Quangnha Thai and Changjin Lee
The Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 24, no. 10, pp.2007-2016, 2010

Abstract : A CFD code with 2-D cascade model was developed to predict the cavitation behavior around the impeller blades of impeller in a centrifugal pump. The governing equations are the two-phase Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in a homogeneous form in which both liquid and vapor phases are treated as incompressible fluid. To close the model, a standard k-ε turbulence model is introduced. And the mass transfer rates between liquid and vapor phases are implemented as well. The validations are carried out by comparing with reference data in impeller of a centrifugal pump impeller. The cavitation characteristics of current centrifugal pumps is tested at an ondesign point (V=8 m/s) and two off-design points (V=20 m/s and V=30 m/s), respectively. The criteria of cavitation and flow instability around blades are presented. The results show that the current centrifugal pump can safely operate without cavitation at on-design point. Also, the simulation shows cavitation develops inhomogeneously among the blades at off-design points. Moreover, the effects of additional blades in the impeller are studied as well. From the numerical results, it is expected that a half-length blade is the optimum configuration as additional blades in cavitation point of view.

Keyword : Cavitation; Half-length blade; 2-D cascade; Centrifugal pump; Impeller